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Three new offences in anti-terrorism bill

A bill aimed at strengthening counter-terrorism laws will allow for the prosecution of a broader range of terrorist activities – including three new offences.

The measures are contained in the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025, which the Government approved for publication yesterday (10 June).

The Department of Justice says that the measures target terrorist acts with a cross-border element, as well as cyber-attacks that are aimed at causing widespread harm.

Training and travelling

The bill will criminalise three new terrorist offences targeting what Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan called “the foreign terrorist-fighter phenomenon”:

• Receiving training for the purpose of terrorism,
• Travelling for the purpose of terrorism, and
• Organising or facilitating travel for the purpose of terrorism.

The penalty, on conviction on indictment for all three offences, is a fine or imprisonment for up to ten years.

The department says that the bill, which will give effect to an EU directive, will bring counter-terrorism laws into line with those of other EU member states, which will facilitate Ireland’s participation in enhanced counter-terrorism networks across the EU.

Minister O’Callaghan said that the bill would also allow the courts, when sentencing a person convicted of recruiting or providing training for terrorism, to treat as an aggravating factor that the offence was committed against a child.